The Fifth Dimension?

The movie has got rave reviews but I've just not been able to figure it out.

A farmer-cum-test-pilot leaves his dusty home, gets launched into outer space,  travels into a 'worm-hole' sitting next to Saturn, into another galaxy...only to turn up behind a bookshelf in his own house!

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LINKS

Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_%28film%29

2014 November - Interesting Articles & Links

* On Credit: Lecture by Raghuram Rajan @IRMA - http://rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_SpeechesView.aspx?Id=929

* A runner with Multiple Sclerosis -- http://fbshare.sfglobe.com/2014/11/24/coach-catches-teenage-runner-with-multiple-sclerosis-during-every-race

* My fight to save my daughter's skin -- http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/22/our-fight-to-save-sohana-research-fund

* WWI Christmas Advt -- http://rare.us/story/this-wwi-themed-christmas-ad-is-blowing-up-the-internet/I4kIekAb4HJySAZR.01

* Japan - Kanto vs. Kansai -- http://www.tofugu.com/2014/02/19/kansai-vs-kanto-why-cant-we-all-just-get-along/

* JICA President interview -- http://www.livemint.com/Politics/DS5eiTE463xMEkJFTCk3BJ/India-will-continue-to-be-one-of-Japans-biggest-partners-A.html

* W3 - The Group that Rules the Web - http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/group-rules-web

* Pesek,W: Japan should be more German -- http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/11/24/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-german

* Shiv Vishwanathan on Nehru -- http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/opinion-on-jawaharlal-nehru-125th-birth-anniversary/article6600161.ece

* NYT on the Gita -- http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/dec/04/war-and-peace-bhagavad-gita/

* Mangos to Japan -- http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/japan-comes-calling-on-mango-import-114112400717_1.html

* Japan architecture award winners - http://ruartecontract.com/architecture-pritzker-awards-japanese-winners-together/?sthash.P0bEt7n6.mjjo

* Bangladesh - Blood Water (Salil Tripathi) -- http://www.caravanmagazine.in/essay/blood-water

* Landmark infra projects -- http://www.livemint.com/Companies/ro4NCfgJxmLAAsSzubal8K/Delhi-Metro-Yamunaexpressway-in-KPMGs-list-of-worlds-mos.html

* How to use a Consultant -- http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31818&articlexml=How-to-use-a-consultant-14112014252005

* Pakistan - Informants behind the drone strikes -- http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/12/obama-s-deadly-informants-the-drone-spotters-of-pakistan.html

* Steve Jobs, Kids and iPads -- http://theunboundedspirit.com/why-steve-jobs-didnt-let-his-kids-use-ipads/

* Architect Sou Fujimoto's Futuristic Spaces -- http://online.wsj.com/articles/architect-sou-fujimotos-futuristic-spaces-1415238522?mod=e2tw

* The Pierre Omidiar Insurgency -- http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/10/pierre-omidyar-first-look-media.html

* 36 People Who Run Wikipedia -- https://medium.com/matter/the-36-people-who-run-wikipedia-21ecca70bcca?curator=MediaREDEF

Is There a Way Around Roundup?

Rapeseed / Canola (pic-Wiki)

Earlier this year, India's edible oil imports hit a record high. It has cost us over Rs. 60,000 Crores to import over 11.8 million tonnes of cooking oil. For the past few years domestic production has remained stagnant at around 7 mT.

Interestingly a significant portion of the imported oil comes from Genetically Modified (GM) crops. Soyabean oil imported from South America is GM, and so is the Canola oil imported from Canada and Australia. Recently the import of Canola has stalled, not because of GM/Healthcare issues, but because the Indian regulatory agency (FSSAI) wants it to be re-labeled as "imported rapeseed low erucic-acid oil".

Technically, this is exactly what Canola is - modified Rapeseed. It was Canadian scientists who managed to reduce the acid content in rapeseed through classical breeding, and then Monsanto went on to make it tolerant to certain herbicides ("Roundup Ready") through genetic interventions. They then went on to become the largest producers of oil, and gave it a name that sounds a lot more palatable than "Rapeseed".

In 2012, Canada exported 16,000 tonnes of canola. More than 80% of this oil crop grown in Canada is the herbicide resistant GM variety. Paradoxically much of this goes to countries that have officially banned GM crops for human consumption.

If we can import and consume GM edible oil, why are we so muddled about conducting field trials that can enable our own farmers earn more, while at the same time, cutting down our import bills?

Perhaps much of the suspicion and angst comes from the fact that most genetically modified crops (including Roundup Ready) are developed to be pesticide and herbicide resistant, rather than directly increase the yield of a given crop.

So the question is -- how do we selectively promote public funded, non-MNC-inspired GM crops that focus on increasing yield and drought resistance - things that really matter to local farmers?

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REFERENCES & LINKS

* Edible Oil Imports 2014 -- http://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/indias-dependence-on-imported-edible-oil-to-hit-new-record-114041900395_1.html

* http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/government-and-policy/antigmo-activists-undermining-regulator/article6636942.ece 

* (ToI, 8Aug14): LABELING ROW HALTS CANOLA OIL IMPORTS -- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Labelling-row-stalls-Canola-oil-imports/articleshow/39835966.cms
- India has been importing canola oil since 2007
- It is one of the largest selling oils in several countries, including US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, China and Pakistan
- FSSAI wants Canola oil labelled "imported rapeseed-low erucic acid oil"

* (BL, 11Sep13): IMPORT OF CANOLA OIL MAY DOUBLE NEXT YEAR -- http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/import-of-canola-oil-from-canada-may-double-next-year/article5117300.ece 
- Canada, the largest exporter of canola oil exported about 16,000 tonnes in 2012 from about 400 tonnes in 2011.
- In India, canola oil is sold under brands such as Hudson, Jivo and Sattvic and the price ranges from Rs.170 to Rs. 395 a litre. 

* CANOLA COUNCIL OF CANADA - http://www.canolacouncil.org/oil-and-meal/canola-oil/canola-the-myths-debunked/
- In the late 1960s, plant scientists used traditional plant breeding methods to get rid of rapeseed's undesirable qualities - erucic acid and glucosinolates - to create Canola
- about 80% of the canola grown in Canada has now been modified using biotechnology to make it tolerant to some herbicides.
- When rapeseed oil is fully hydrogenated, its erucic acid becomes behenic acid - a natural saturated fatty acid found in peanuts and peanut butter. 

* Erucic Acid - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erucic_acid
* MIT - Roundup Ready Crops -- http://web.mit.edu/demoscience/Monsanto/about.html

A Half Marathon to Remember

 (ADHM 2014 - pic - BS)

"Chin-up!! Just 300 meters to go!" 

Music to my ears.

This was one of the best things I heard during during Sunday's Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM). The fact that it came from a co-runner speeding past us made it so much more... credible. Thanks to him, and to numerous other unknown runners who helped me keep pace, ADHM-2014 turned out to be my best race yet.

I finished the 21.095 km in 1 hour 55 minutes.

ADHM this year was memorable in other ways too. It was a lot better organised than the Mawana Half Marathon I ran last year.

Yesterday, at 5:30AM in the morning, the organizers had set in place adequate volunteers and security guards to facilitate a smooth flow of vehicles and participants into their respective enclosures. Plenty of portable toilets and water stations had been set in place. As more and more runners crowded into their designated enclosures, keeping themselves busy jogging, stretching and warming up, a knot of youngsters stood around an elderly gentleman, seated on a low platform, wearing a yellow t-shirt captioned "Born 1932". This was the well-known veteran marathoner, Wg Cdr. Dr. Ashis Roy.

At 83 years, Dr. Roy is one of the oldest runners in India. He had started running marathons after crossing 50, and had competed more than a hundred full-marathons. He joked about ADHM's pathetic obsession with "Elite Runners" when globally the sport was celebrated precisely because it was egalitarian. "Anybody, anywhere can do it! You don't even need shoes to run!... It is like a festival -- you can make so many friends - just like today!".

When somebody joked that the 21 km would be a breeze, he pointed out that age had been catching up with him. A recent spine injury had earned him four screws that held his vertebrae together. And thanks to arthritis, he now needed help "to warm-up till the start-line". So when the gates opened, we held hands and jogged till the start-line with its huge time banner flashing "07:11 AM", into a sea of swinging elbows.

Out of the stadium, on to the open roads, it was frustrating to be dodging and weaving through crowds. Many 'runners' had started walking even before the 2 km mark! The crowds gradually dwindled only after India Gate, and by this time the "Elite Runners" - mostly lithe African runners in graceful, long strides - were already touching the finish line.

The trick for inexperienced runners like me was to find the right group of 'pace-setters'. It was helpful to see runners with timing flags. I had passed the "2:15 Bus" flag around Purana Qila and kept close to the "2:00 Bus" until Parliament Street. From here on, sensing that my body could maintain a certain pace, I had selected two faster runners to track - one in a yellow-T sporting "Delhi Runner - Rahul" and a Japanese runner sporting a blue outfit. This worked quite nicely -- right until the finish line.

Across the finish line it suddenly hits you -- that heady, giddy feeling, just like when you're drunk. Your legs hurt and wobble but they keep going, taking you past other exhausted runners, sitting on the steps or sprawled in the Recovery Zone. They take you to the refreshments zone, and to the finishers medal around your neck.

For the next couple of days the legs hurt like crazy and you swear never to run like this again. Then, a few days later, it all seems like a forgotten dream and you are searching for your running shoes, once again.

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LINKS & REFERENCES

* Ashis Roy - Marathon Man - http://www.theshillongtimes.com/2013/04/07/marathon-marathoner/

* Airtel Delhi Half Marathon -- http://adhm.procamrunning.in/
* Timings - Bib no. 31605 -- http://www.timingindia.com/beta/result.html
* Results Link - http://www.timingindia.com/beta/my-result-details/MzE2MDU6dGltaW5nX3IxNDExX2RlbGhtX2VsaXRl#head
* Certificate - http://www.timingindia.com/certificate/MjI5NDozMTYwNTomSSY3Ng==
* Pics - http://adhm.procamrunning.in/marathon-photos/

* ADHM-2014 Winner - Guye Adola (Ethiopia) - http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/ethiopian-guye-adola-wins-delhi-half-marathon/article6626915.ece
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In a different context, the graphic from the Economist nicely illustrated the problems during the first 5km of the half-marathon:

Going Bananas

A recent article in the EPW, titled "GM Crops and Global Trade" points out that - "one company controls two-thirds of banana germ plasm of the world, four companies have 30% global market of seeds, and just six multinationals account for 77% of the pesticide market."

This got me curious.

How is it possible for one company to control two-thirds of banana germplasm? Does this mean that it has a hold over the myriad banana varieties dangling at a fruit-vendor's stall in Kerala?

If something seems out of place, it probably is.

According to the International Musa Germplasm Transit Center (ITC-Belgium), the center is "home to the world’s largest collection of banana (Musa) germplasm". ITC has over 1400 sample of edible and wild species of banana, cryo-preserved at -196C. Most importantly, it is not owned by any company and is therefore "freely available for international distribution upon request".

Perhaps the EPW article meant to convey that two-thirds of banana trade is controlled by one company. But even this is contrary to a recent FAO report which states -

FAO's review of the three largest banana traders (Chiquita, Dole and Del Monte), shows that the combined market share of the top three companies was at its highest the 1980's, when they controlled almost two-thirds (65.3 percent) of global banana exports, while in 2013, their market share was slightly over one-third (36.6 percent).

The global banana market is worth US$ 7 billion. Amazingly, nearly all the trading happens in only one variety of banana: Yellow-skin Cavendish.

Contrast this with the amazing variety of bananas available in South India. Even the humblest fruit-seller would have on display, at least five different types of the fruit on any given day. India's National Horticulture Board lists more than 11 varieties of banana including - Robusta, Rasthali, Poovan, Nendran, Red-Banana (Kappa Pazham), Virupakshi, Panchanadan, Monthan and Karpuravalli!

So, far from controlling two-thirds of banana germplasm, the MNCs have only focused one single variety. It is as though all the florists in the world were stocking only roses or as though all the eateries were serving just burgers.

This also one reason why the supermarkets will never overrun the local  kirana shops and chaya-kada's -- they just cannot offer ten different types of bananas!


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REFERENCES & LINKS:

* Singh, Sukhpal (2014): GM CROPS AND GLOBAL TRADE, EPW, 18 October 2014 -- http://www.epw.in/commentary/gm-crops-and-global-agri-trade.html

* ITC Belgium - http://www.bioversityinternational.org/research-portfolio/conservation-use-of-bananas-tree-crops/international-musa-germplasm-transit-centre/

* (Reuters, 27 OCt 2914) -- http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/27/us-chiquita-brands-m-a-cutrale-safra-idUSKBN0IG16J20141027

* FAO - The Changing Face of Global Banana Trade - http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/224807/icode/

- FAO Full Report (2014) - http://www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3746e/i3746e.pdf

* CGIAR - http://cropgenebank.sgrp.cgiar.org/images/file/procedures/collecting2011/Chapter3-2011.pdf

* National Horticulture Board (NH‌B), India - Banana Varieties - http://nhb.gov.in/fruits/banana/ban013.pdf

Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana
- Enset - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensete_ventricosum -- 'False Banana' grown in Ethiopia for its edible roots!

BHEL, Maruti-Suzuki and SAIL

For once, I was glad to read a bureaucrat's memoir. All the more so because I had seen the man in action between 2005-2008, and never knew that he had so much to write about!

V. Krishnamurthy was the Chairman of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) while CII were trying to get IITs and IIMs interested in Prof. Shoji Shiba's attempts to replicate the Visionary Leaders for Manufacturing (VLFM) program in India. I was with JICA, the Japanese funding agency that initially funded this program.

All I knew about VK, the towering, portly gentleman with a heavy voice, was that he was the driving force behind a JV that launched the automobile sector in India: Maruti-Suzuki.

Thanks to the memoir, now I know that there was a lot more to VK than the 'common-man's car'. He started his career at the Planning Commission, opted to get his hands dirty at BHEL-Tiruchirapalli and then - thanks to the patronage of the Gandhi family - went on to head the group, and make a mark for himself as the man who turns around Public Sector companies.

Indira Gandhi selected VK to turn her son's dream project into reality, and then Rajiv Gandhi got him to straighten out SAIL.

This is the sort of book that makes you wonder -- How many brilliant managers has India lost for the want of political patronage?

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REFERENCES:

* Krishnamurthy V (2014): AT THE HELM, Harper Collins India, 2014

* Review - Business Line (25 May 14) - Krishnamurthy V (2014): http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/for-the-public-good/article6046546.ece